If you are writing an academic paper in MLA format, you must use standardized abbreviations for books of the Bible when citing scripture. The Modern Language Association (MLA) provides official abbreviations to ensure consistency and clarity in scholarly writing.
This page provides the complete MLA Bible abbreviations list, organized by Old and New Testament. You can also download a free printable PDF version for quick reference.
This guide is especially helpful for:
- students writing essays or research papers
- seminarians and theology students
- pastors preparing academic manuscripts
- anyone citing Bible verses in MLA format
Download MLA Bible Abbreviations List PDF
For convenience, you can download the complete MLA Bible abbreviations list as a printable reference sheet:
[Download MLA Bible Abbreviations List PDF]
This PDF is optimized for printing and includes:
- Old Testament abbreviations (one page)
- New Testament abbreviations (one page)
- clean academic reference format
Old Testament MLA Bible Abbreviations
| Old Testament Book | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Genesis | Gen. |
| Exodus | Exod. |
| Leviticus | Lev. |
| Numbers | Num. |
| Deuteronomy | Deu. |
| Joshua | Josh. |
| Judges | Judg. |
| Ruth | Ruth |
| 1 Samuel | 1 Sam. |
| 2 Samuel | 2 Sam. |
| 1 Kings | 1 Kings |
| 2 Kings | 2 Kings |
| 1 Chronicles | 1 Chron. |
| 2 Chronicles | 2 Chron. |
| Ezra | Ezra |
| Nehemiah | Neh. |
| Esther | Esth. |
| Job | Job |
| Psalm | Ps. |
| Proverbs | Prov. |
| Ecclesiastes | Eccles. |
| Song of Solomon | Song of Sol. |
| Isaiah | Isa. |
| Jeremiah | Jer. |
| Lamentations | Lam. |
| Ezekiel | Ezek. |
| Daniel | Dan. |
| Hosea | Hos. |
| Joel | Joel |
| Amos | Amos |
| Obadiah | Obad. |
| Jonah | Jon. |
| Micah | Mic. |
| Nahum | Nah. |
| Habakkuk | Hab. |
| Zephaniah | Zeph. |
| Haggai | Hag. |
| Zechariah | Zech. |
| Malachi | Mal. |
New Testament MLA Bible Abbreviations
| New Testament Book | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Matthew | Matt. |
| Mark | Mark |
| Luke | Luke |
| John | John |
| Acts | Acts |
| Romans | Rom. |
| 1 Corinthians | 1 Cor. |
| 2 Corinthians | 2 Cor. |
| Galatians | Gal. |
| Ephesians | Eph. |
| Philippians | Phil. |
| Colossians | Col. |
| 1 Thessalonians | 1 Thess. |
| 2 Thessalonians | 2 Thess. |
| 1 Timothy | 1 Tim. |
| 2 Timothy | 2 Tim. |
| Titus | Tit. |
| Philemon | Philem. |
| Hebrews | Heb. |
| James | Jas. |
| 1 Peter | 1 Pet. |
| 2 Peter | 2 Pet. |
| 1 John | 1 John |
| 2 John | 2 John |
| 3 John | 3 John |
| Jude | Jude |
| Revelation | Rev. |
How to Cite the Bible in MLA Format
Here are some of the most frequently used abbreviations:
Genesis 1:1 → (Gen. 1.1)
John 3:16 → (John 3.16)
Romans 8:28 → (Rom. 8.28)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the MLA abbreviation for Genesis?
The MLA abbreviation for Genesis is Gen.
What is the MLA abbreviation for Psalms?
The MLA abbreviation for Psalms is Ps.
What is the MLA abbreviation for Revelation?
The MLA abbreviation for Revelation is Rev.
Do I need to abbreviate Bible books in MLA?
Yes. MLA style requires using standard abbreviations when citing Bible verses in academic writing.
Where can I download the MLA Bible abbreviations list?
You can download the complete printable PDF version here.
MLA Bible Abbreviations Printable Reference
This MLA Bible abbreviations list is designed as a quick reference tool for students and researchers. Bookmark this page or download the PDF to easily find abbreviations when writing papers.
4 Responses
Missing Esther
Hi John, just updated. Thanks for letting me know. God bless.
Thank you so much Cliff for this. It is so confusing because there are so many abbreviations to choose from. I’m writing my master’s dissertation and was hunting around to find MLA bible abbreviations. Then I found this, and all my confusion was gone. Thank you again.
Kind regards
Jean
Hi Jean, I am glad you find it useful. Haha, I use this blog post so many times when I was working on my Thesis. God bless.